


Seven

by breakingfiction



Category: My Candy Love
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 06:46:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10551848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breakingfiction/pseuds/breakingfiction
Summary: You either insist that he stops playing games and starts getting serious. Or you forget him altogether, and choose the guy who would happily make you his whole world. Seven days. Three hearts. One choice. CasxCandyxLys.





	1. Monday

**A/N:** _Hey guys! Welcome to my new story. This isn't going to be a particularly long story. If you haven't already guessed by the title, it's going to be set over seven days, and it will be seven chapters. Quite a bit of love triangle drama going on, but overall it's just teenagers being teenagers, Enjoy!_

"I'm telling you, Delaney is a walking fashion disaster, "My best friend complains from beside me as we sit in our final class for the day.

I remove the thermometer I'm holding from the test tube of stearic acid in front of us as her melodic voice drifts over. "Have you seen those things she calls _shoes_?"

Rosalya makes a gagging noise as she adjusts her grip on the test tube, and then straightens the large safety glasses over her nose with her other hand. When she flicks her silver hair back over her shoulder I let out an ungraceful snort.

"How many cats do you think she owns?"

A bubble of laughter escapes Rosa's lips as she says, "At least eleven,"

I glance at the door to the classroom which our Science teacher, Ms Delaney, has just disappeared through at the urgent request of the Principle, and purse my lips into a tight line.

"Remind me again why we chose Science as our elective this year?"

Of all the classes that Sweet Amoris offers, Science is by far the worst. And our evil dictator of a teacher makes the lessons at least a _million_ times more unbearable.

I'm not even exaggerating.

It's no secret that Ms Delaney hates me. I swear she gave me a C+ on my last test on purpose, when it was at least A material.

HonestIy, I would rather take Gym class with Mr Boris over this – and I _hate_ sports. Plus I'm pretty sure that Mr Boris is in love with half the female students, and that's just plain disgusting.

When I turn back to our experiment, Rosalya is grinning at me knowingly – her golden eyes glinting with her own particular brand of mischief. I swear that _nothing_ escapes this girls notice, much to my dismay.

"I distinctly remember you saying something along the lines of ' _I'm picking whatever class Castiel chooses_ ,'"

My face flushes red, and I would have smacked her for that ridiculous high-pitched imitation of me, had she not been holding the test tube in a beaker of boiling water. Instead, I snarl darkly.

"Fat load of good that did,"

Rosalya agrees with a click of her tongue and narrows her cat-like eyes across the room. "Why you put up with that morons antics, I will never know."

I glance at the ' _moron_ ' in question and ignore Rosa's disapproving glare. A few strands of Castiels scarlet hair falls over his face as he leans to adjust the dial on the Bunsen burner he and Kentin are working with, and something in my stomach flitters at the sight. Science class is one of the few times that he ties his longer hair back.

_How on earth does he always look so flawless? Like it's nothing at all to wake up in the morning and look that goddam good everyday…_

"Close your mouth, you're drooling," Rosa teases, but I ignore her.

Kentin is seated beside Castiel with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he'd much rather be suffering through one of Mr Faraizes' coma-inducing History classes then this. He says something to Castiel, which earns a snappy response from the other boy, and I can't help but let out an amused breath.

How Ms Delaneys test landed the two of them as lab partners, I have no idea. Kentin is a complete and utter sweetheart – _most of the time –_ and never fails to keep his emotions written all over his face. That is until Castiel comes along, with his attitude and bad temper, and seems to ignite some sort of weird, personal competition between them on who can be the biggest jerk.

I have to admit, however, that Kentin isn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the box. And while Castiel has more than enough brains to excel in any class he chooses, I know he'd much rather skip school altogether.

Apples and oranges, those two.

It's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet.

"Come on, Rosa," I'm saying to my best friend as I gesture to the boys table with a wave, " _Look at him._ He's just so… so?"

"Idiotic? Condescending? Arrogant?"Rosalya offers, her smile dripping with mock sweetness, and I glare at her darkly.

"Okay, walking dictionary, I already know you don't like him."

"That's the understatement of the century," She corrects me, and I roll my violet eyes at her, but still she's carrying on. "Maybe if he did something useful, other than whine about oh, I don't know, _everything_ , and run around chasing every other girl who catches his eye, then he'd stand a chance at gaining my approval."

Her words wash over me, and I know deep down that she's infuriatingly _right_. But he's so much more than that. I try my best to hold back the bite in my tone.

" _Maybe_ you just don't see what I see,"

Rosalya scoffs loudly and dismisses the accusation with a wave of her hand. I can't help but giggle at her dramatics. As much as she is an utter pain in my butt, she never fails to make me laugh.

I'd been at Sweet Amoris High School for a few months now, and I'm finally losing the feeling of being the new kid, thanks to the amazing friends I've made here. Something about this place just _clicks_ with me, and it had never been an issue for me to adjust to the change in school.

Rosalya and I were a little stand-offish with each other at first, but the more time we spent together, the more we began to realise just how similar we are. Fashion, boys and music take up the majority of our conversations.

And then along came Alexy, completing our trio with his crazy old school music, which is _almost_ as wild as his fashion sense and taste in guys. The three of us have been inseparable ever since.

But then there's Castiel...

It had been hard getting to know him at first. God knows that he keeps a wall around himself about a hundred feet high, and his temper would scare off even the most determined.

But every now and then, he'll let that wall down, and that's when I see who he truly is. And I can't deny that I _like_ what I see. That under that tough exterior lies someone who is _good_ , and caring, and just a little bit vulnerable.

Castiel looks up, notices me gawking at him stupidly, and throws me a careless wink. Flustered, I turn back to our work in a desperate attempt to keep my concentration.

_Oh my God! He'll never let me live this down…_

I dip the thermometer into the acid again and make a note of the temperature, which my face seems to be competing with if the flush I can feel creeping up my neck is any indication. If Rosa has noticed, so far she hasn't said anything.

"Candy, you wouldn't by chance have a pen I can borrow?" I'm distracted from our _exhilarating_ project by a low voice, and I turn to find Lysander peering down at me. His eyes, one emerald green and the other a wolf-like yellow, are focused softly on my own, and his usual Victorian-style clothes are covered by a white lab coat.

He looks a little flustered, and something in my chest tightens at the sight of him. I shiver, though I'm sure it's only because the classroom is forever set to an arctic-cold temperature.

At least that's what I tell myself.

"Let me guess – you lost yours?" I bite on my lower lip to keep from giggling, and Lysander grins sheepishly and runs a hand through the long, raven ends of his hair.

"Actually, I wasn't paying attention and it melted on the Bunsen burner,"

He gestures with his hand to the table across from ours where his lab partner, Capucine, is holding up a melted, sticky mess of plastic and making a disgusted face.

I lower my eyebrows and pluck a pen from its case. "Here you go, Lys."

He smiles at me gratefully before returning to his desk, and I don't realise that I'm watching him, until Rosalya nudges me in the arm roughly.

With a small sigh, I turn to my best friend, who's smiling at me knowingly, and I roll my violet eyes at her for the umpteenth time that morning.

"Rosa, _no_ ,"

"Come on, Candy! Lys is totally into you," She argues before turning her full lips into a pout. "Are you blind? Do you need your eyes checked?"

I ignore her ridiculous questions and shrug my shoulders while turning the dial on our Bunsen burner to regulate the heat. Even the thought that Lysander could like _me_ of all people is completely absurd.

"We're just friends, that's all." I protest, and Rosa prods at my cheek with a manicured finger.

"Yeah? Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blush-"

"You totally are! Oh my God… you like him, right?"

I sneak a glance past her to where Lysander is writing notes while Capucine blabbers in his ear about something completely unrelated. It's true that Lysander's an amazing guy. He's confident, without the cockiness. Sweet and sensitive, with a low, burning fire that smoulders through his usual calm every now and then. Not to mention he's totally gorgeous.

_Wait, what?_

I stare at Rosalya pointedly, my teeth gritted as I whisper between them. "Rosa, you _know_ that it's not Lysander that I like."

She grimaces, and I resist the urge to pull her hair.

"Anyway, I always thought it was _you_ that Lysander liked," I say to Rosalya, holding back the bite in my tone. She frowns at me.

"Me? _No way._ I mean, we've always been close, but I've been dating Leigh since I was fifteen. Lysander's like my brother, you know?"

"Mmhmm," I say in answer, and Rosa smacks me on the arm with a metal spoon.

We struggle through the rest of class – well, I should say that I struggled through Rosa's verbal list of reasons why I should abandon my crush on Castiel and go for Lysander instead – and finally, when the bell signalling the end of classes rings loudly, we all but kidnap Alexy from his table and head out into the courtyard.

The lingering heat of the afternoon hits us as we walk into the fresh air, and Alexy – my other sad excuse for a best friend – grabs me around the waist with both arms and chirps, "You, my love, are going to be ecstatic when I tell you the news."

I stare at the boy pointedly, disentangling myself from his long arms. More excitable puppy then teenage boy, when Alexy transferred to Sweet Amoris he swiftly earned himself the title of King of gossip.

"Go on, then," I say with a click of my tongue and he pouts in disappointment.

"You're no fun! Get excited, will you?"

I ruffle a hand through his cobalt hair playfully, and he grabs me by the wrist, grinning impishly.

"So, my parents are out of town this weekend. I'm thinking party, right?"

Typical Alexy, always wanting to be the life of the party.

Even better when it's his own.

Rosalya squeals at this information and claps her hands together. "I'm picking the music! And you _know_ that I can persuade Leigh to buy our drinks."

"If anyone has control of the music, dearest, it will be me."

I let the two squabble between themselves as I enjoy the last of the sunshine. Spring is in full force, and it's without a doubt my favourite time of year. I close my eyes, attempting to enjoy the remnants of the day, but between the excited chattering of the students exiting the school gates, and the arguing of my two best friends, I'm failing miserably.

A low voice hums in my ear and my eyes snap open in terror – the butterflies in my stomach lurching into an absolute, chronic mess.

"Hey girly. Couldn't keep your eyes off me in class, huh?" Castiel says with a dark smirk as he swings an arm around my shoulders, and I narrow my eyes at him. The way his scarlet hair flawlessly falls into his eyes is _so_ unfair.

_And why does he always smell so amazing?_

"You wish, Cas."

I manage to keep my voice somewhat steady, though he simply raises his eyebrows in amusement. "Well, I _was_ going to offer to walk you home, but if you're gonna be like that…"

He pretends to walk away, but I catch up and punch him in the arm playfully and can't help but let a small smile slide onto my lips.

"You are _such_ a pain in the arse."

"Ah, you love it."

He falls into step beside me and I don't miss the looks of utter distaste that Rosalya and Alexy are shooting the pair of us. I ignore their glares, offering them a hasty goodbye before Castiel and I walk out the school gates together. We collect a couple of odd glances from our classmates, but I try my best to ignore them.

He removes his arm from around me and shoves his hands into his pockets instead. Immediately, I find myself missing his warmth.

"So, how's things with Kentin?" I ask, mostly to distract myself, and Castiel lets out a bark of laughter.

"That pip-squeak?He wouldn't know a beaker from a broomstick," He stops. "Or are you going to tell me off for talking about your friend like that?"

"He's more Alexy's friend," I say as I bite on my bottom lip nervously.

"Friend, or victim?"

I laugh and give him a playful push. "Don't be mean, Cas."

My house isn't far from the school, and as we approach the edge of the park across from my apartment. I know it's stupid, but I wish we had more time to spend together. Time where it's just the two of us, and he can let down those walls and be who he really is.

Castiel stops and rubs his neck anxiously.

"So, Candy, I was thinking. How 'bout after practice tomorrow… you, me?"

I can already feel my face burning, but I fold my arms across my chest in mock seriousness. _No_ _way_ am I going to let him see how much he gets to me.

"Are you asking me out, Castiel?"

He grins darkly, and throws me a sideways glance. "Slow down girly… maybe we can hang out, that's all."

I purse my lips, pretending to think as I tap a finger against my chin.

"I guess I can fit you into my schedule,"

Castiel lets out a bark of laughter and I turn to head across the road to my house, but a hand on my arm stops me.

"What, no goodbye kiss?"

I stifle a small yelp as Castiel pulls me into him, grinning down at me devilishly. My heart thumps a furious rhythm in my chest, and I barely manage to squeak.

"In your dreams, maybe,"

_Smooth, Candy..._

"Come on," He teases, though I when tip-toe up to peck him on the cheek he turns into me abruptly and before I know it, his lips are on mine.

I pull away quickly – shocked and speechless. I was definitely not expecting _that_. Not that it isn't what I want...

_Oh God, he's totally going to think that I'm not into him..._

Castiel merely throws me a playful smirk before turning and walking off, shouting, "See you tomorrow, trouble," over his shoulder.

I cross the street to my house, barely able to keep the stupid grin off my face as I duck through the front door. As soon as I'm hidden inside I linger in the hallway, leaning back against the front door as I giggle quietly to myself.

"Candy…"

_Oh, no…_

I adjust my bag over my shoulder and tip-toe into the lounge room where my Dad is sitting on the couch - his iPad balanced on his lap as he taps on the screen.

"How was school?" He asks, not looking up from his work.

"Oh, er, it was fine..."

At this he stops, adjusting the glasses that perch on his nose as he looks at me sternly.

"You and that boy seem to be getting far too close lately."

At this moment my Mum enters from the kitchen, balancing her laptop in her hands.

"Oooo which one?"

"The red head,"

I blush furiously. "Dad, you were _spying_ on me!"

He at least has the decency to look sheepish at this. "I wouldn't call it spying, exactly..."

"Leave her alone, darling," Mom tuts at him, waving him over so she can sit on the sofa beside him. "Don't you remember what you were like at seventeen?"

"Okay... I'm leaving now," I say, mortified, as I back out of the room, before turning and running up the stairs where I burst into my bedroom, shutting the door quickly before any more embarrassing questions are thrown my way.

With a sigh, I drop my bag onto my desk chair before falling back onto my bed and pulling my phone from my pocket. Immediately I'm met with a message from my friend, Priya.

_So, you and Cas huh?_

I almost laugh out loud as I tap a reply to her. _Of course_ Priya would have noticed the two of us leaving school together. That girl is far too clever for her own good.

_What can I say? I'm a magnet for trouble..._

My phone beeps again after a minute.

_Too right ;)_

Priya and I message for a while, and it reminds me how easy it is to talk to her. She had only been at Sweet Amoris for a few short weeks, since her family settled down after years of constant travel. I love her confidence, and how absolutely nothing gets her down. I find her fast becoming a good friend.

My ringtone goes off, and I pick up my phone.

_Lysander._

I giggle at the picture that I've set for his profile. In it I'm poking out my tongue at the camera, while he winks at it from beside me. I answer the call with a tap on the screen.

"Hey, Lys,"

"Candy, Hi... I hope this isn't a bad time,"

"No, it's fine. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to the bands' practice tomorrow," He hesitates. "We have some new songs. I'd like to hear what you think of them.

"Of course," I smile, even though he can't see. "I'll be there."

"Great. See you tomorrow."

"See you,"

I tap a finger on the screen to end the call, and smile softly. I don't know if Lysander prefers a phone call, or if he simply hasn't figured out the _oh-so_ complicated task of text messaging yet.

Probably both.

I fall back against my pillow with a huff, forgetting the phone call and letting my mind drift over what happened with Castiel that afternoon instead. My mind feels like it's in a constant state of torture whenever I think of him. I'm sure that he likes me, the flirtations are more than enough proof of that. But still I wonder what his intentions are exactly, and why he's never made a move to take anything further with me.

During dinner that night , I can't concentrate on anything but the feeling of Castiels lips on mine.

But when I fall asleep... I'm falling, falling, falling into eyes of green and gold.


	2. Tuesday

"Listen up class. Today we're playing dodge ball."

Mr Boris' voice booms through the gymnasium and I'm surrounded by the sound of groans and complaints, and at least one cheer from Castiel, of all people, who whoops and yells "This is my kind of class!"

I roll my eyes at him and he gives me a savage grin.

_Typical._

"Alright kids - you nine on this side, and the rest on the other."

Mr Boris instructs as he divides us into two teams, and I mumble under my breath unhappily as I join Rosalya and the rest of my team, including Alexy, who is currently much too busy pestering Kentin to pay attention to anything else.

Castiel strolls to the opposite team, and my eyes roll over him as he ties his scarlet hair up out of his face and then scoops up a red, rubber ball. He's wearing a tight, black t-shirt that moulds to his body in _all the right ways_ – seriously, it's enough to make me drool. He catches me staring and waggles his eyebrows from across the court, and I hide my blush by sending him an obscene hand gesture, to which he chuckles darkly.

I can already tell who his first target will be.

The screech of Mr Boris' whistle pierces my ears and immediately I'm dodging Castiels first throw. He scowls, and I allow myself a victory grin before the next ball is hurled my way - courtesy of Amber.

For a second I panic, until with a start I realise that I've actually caught the ball - _I've actually done something remotely athletic_ \- and Mr Boris yells, "Amber, you're out!"

She throws me a sour look as she marches from the court, though I ignore it. I've recently learnt better then to encourage that pests bad attitude. If she didn't hate me enough for the amount of time that I spend with Castiel, she certainly loathes me for making friends with Priya, who Amber hates almost as much as me.

_Almost._

"Good catch," Lysander says breathily from beside me before he hurls his ball through the air, hitting Armin square in the chest.

My mouth drops.

_How is he so good at this?_

I line up my ball, ready to throw. Peggy, Melody and Violette are all huddled together, dodging the torrent of red madness, so I decide to add to it. My throw hits Violette in the leg, and I give her an apologetic look and a shrug, although she looks nothing short of relieved to be finally leaving the court.

Poor girl. I'm sure she'd much rather be sitting in the greenhouse, sketching flowers, rather than be submitted to this kind of torture.

She leaves the court and joins Li and Priya in the sidelines, and before I know what's happening, a strong grip takes my arm and yanks me aside just as a red, rubber ball flies past my head and hits Iris instead.

"Woah, watch out." Lysander grins as he pulls me against him protectively, and I glare across the gym at Castiel, who gives me a lop-sided smirk.

"Thanks." I manage to breathe in appreciation as I disentangle myself from Lysanders arms, only faltering for the briefest of moments at the sight of his lean muscles.

_Has he always been so fit?_

Shaking my head to clear it, I snap my eyes back to Castiel - especially wary now that I'm left with no ammo. He catches Kentins next throw with ease, striking out the brunette, who mumbles his displeasure loudly. I dodge a throw from Nathaniel, only just lunging to the side in time.

"Woo, go Candy! You can do it!" Alexys' yells from the side of the court distract me, and when I turn I realise that both him and Rosa have been struck out. Rosa is leaning back against the wall of the gym, inspecting her fingernails and looking like she'd much rather be _anywhere_ else, while my other best friend jumps around like a monkey at her side.

When I turn back to the court, I'm met with red as a ball hurls towards me and hits me in the shoulder. A loud whoop from across the gym confirms what I had already guessed. Castiel pokes out his tongue and I curse under my breath.

Lysander, sensing my annoyance, gives me a consoling pat on the arm as I leave the court and I catch a glimpse of Charlotte throwing a, surprisingly strong, shot at Castiel, hitting him square in the stomach. He looks absolutely livid as he leaves the court, yet I can only giggle in amusement.

"Hey, you're pretty good at this." I hear Lysander throw the compliment at Charlotte, and I resist the savage urge to smack the doe-eyed grin off of her face. Instead, I punch Alexy in the arm for distracting me.

He whines and rubs at his arm tenderly, and I let out an ungraceful snort.

 _Always such a drama queen_.

"I think I'm wearing Kenny-kins down." Alexy says after a minute of sulking, forgetting his injury and throwing a wink at Kentin, who's desperately trying not to be distracted by his antics.

"Pretty sure he's not gay, Lex." I mumble while watching Lysander and Charlotte double up to take on Nathaniel, who's the last on the court on his side. A streak of heat prods me in the chest like a hot poker, and I bite down on my lip, hard.

"Pfft. He doesn't have to be." Alexy protests, but I'm not listening to him. I'm much too busy glaring daggers at Charlotte.

_Hmph. Who does she think she is? With her stupid eyebrow piercing and her bad attitude._

Nathaniel dodges one rubber ball, and catches the other, which brings Castiel back onto the court. I'm surprised, never knowing that Nathaniel was quite so athletic. Almost immediately Castiel strikes out Charlotte, and Lysanders next ball hits Nathaniel, leaving only the two best friends the last ones on the court.

Now, the game has my full attention. Castiel is fiercely competitive - there's no way he'll let Lysander win against him. But there's no doubt that Lysander is certainly giving him run for his money. Both of them are flush, and slick with sweat, and I honestly don't know who looks hotter right now with their t-shirts stuck to their bodies, showing off every perfect curve...

_Oh my god, I'm a freak..._

Still, I'm far from being the only drooling girl in the gymnasium, and I'm surprised that Alexy hasn't lost his head over the two super-hot guys battling it out in front of us. Instead, I can vaguely hear him rambling on to no-one in particular beside me, saying.

"I need someone like him. The calm to my crazy, you know? Like Candy and Lysander."

I turn and stare at him, wide-eyed, before turning on Rosa. "Rosa, what the hell have you been telling him!"

Rosa shrugs her slim shoulders innocently, although her face looks anything but. I swear this girl is evil incarnate. Sometimes it worries me that she of all people became my best friend. I mean, I love her and all, but what does that say about _me?_

"If you want my opinion, I'm totally team tall, cute and poetic."

Alexy is still blabbering on, and I tilt my head indignantly. "Yes, well, your opinion is neither wanted nor appreciated."

He scoffs in offense, though I'm too busy trying to murder Rosalya with my non-existent mind powers to notice. Sighing, I go back to watching the game, and when Lysander finally strikes out Castiel, we grudgingly head back onto the court for round two.

The games ends with us as the winning team, and I head to our Geography class with Alexy - who has forgiven me for my previous outburst - and his twin brother Armin - who is telling us about some science fiction movie that him and Nathaniel saw over the weekend.

As we walk into the classroom, I'm pulled back roughly by Armin, who grabs the back of my cardigan, just as the door slams shut, almost hitting me in the face. When I push it open tentatively, Amber stands smugly on the other side – her grin positively hellish.

"Oops – didn't see you there." She sings in mock innocence, and I grit my teeth against the foul-mouthed retort that is growing in me.

"Yeah, yeah. Take a hike, Barbie." Armin says as he swings an arm around my shoulder to defend me from the wench and guides me to my table.

Amber glowers at the pair of us and tries to flick her hair over her shoulder as she storms away, but it's so short now that it's a meaningless gesture. I try not to let her get to me. I know she's only mad because she has some insane crush on Castiel, and he clearly doesn't like her back.

As she skulks off to sit with her equally horrible friends, I send Armin a thankful grin. Amber may be his best friend's sister, but he certainly doesn't put up with any crap where she's concerned.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I find a seat with Alexy and Rosa, listening absent-mindedly to Alexy laying out the details of his party on Friday. I feel a little bad that I'm not as excited about it as the two of them, but it's still a few days away yet.

Mr Faraize enters after a while, wearing his trademark goofy grin. Geography and History are by far my best classes, if only for the fact that Mr Faraize is my favourite teacher. He's the only adult in this place who seems to have any sense, anyway.

He grins at the class as he enters, and waves a hand at the open window,

"Good Afternoon Class. I wouldn't want you to spend this lovely, sunny day cooped up inside, so you're going to be working on your projects outside today."

He's met with more than a few delighted whoops as he says this, and goes on to explain. "You'll be drawing a geographically correct map of the school grounds. For this I'm going to split you into pairs," He picks up a clipboard from his desk as he speaks. "Let's see. Nathaniel and Kim. Castiel and Rosalya," There's a groan from both parties at this pairing. "Armin and Capucine. Mr Armin, please lose the phone before I confiscate it. Alexy and Amber," A low grumble from Alexy, and a stern look from Mr Faraize. "Kentin and Priya. Lysander and Candy."

My eyes meet Lysanders as Mr Faraize reads our names, and he throws me a lazy wink. Something flitters in my stomach, and I find that I'm not at all disappointed by the pairing. As everyone else heads off, I snake through the room towards Lysander who simply says, "Shall we?" And holds the door open for me.

As we head into the hazy, afternoon sunshine I feel a surge of appreciation for Mr Faraize for allowing us to work outside. The breeze tangles through my long hair - a welcome change from the stuffiness of the classroom.

We find a spot to work near the trees at the edge of the lawn, and Lysander sits down on the lush grass and stretches his long legs out in front of him. I follow suit, removing my cardigan and sitting crossed-legged before opening my folder in my lap to a blank page, where I begin to sketch in the beginning of our map.

We're sitting downwind from the greenhouse, and the floral scent of the newly blooming flowers hangs in the air. A perfectly lovely spring afternoon.

It's quiet for a long while, with only the sounds of my soft sketching breaking the silence, and when I look up next, Lysander has his face raised to the sun and his eyes closed. I chew on the end of my pencil nervously, studying him for a moment. When he cracks an eye open, I stutter stupidly and say.

"I'm having trouble with this section."

His smile is warm as he leans in to check the map, plucking the pencil from my fingers before he fills in some more of the blank space. And I swear that he's so close, I have to bite down on my lip just to keep my breathing steady as the rosewater scent of his silver hair intoxicates me.

_What is wrong with me?_

"So I'm looking forward to hearing your new songs later." I clear my throat and say, rather awkwardly and Lysander sits back and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. My eyebrows knit together as his calmness swiftly fades.

"About that - there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

I stare at him blankly, saying nothing, and he hesitates before sighing.

"We have a new drummer..."

The folder suddenly feels uncomfortable in my lap, and I push it to the side before questioning him.

"You don't look happy about it."

He hesitates. "She's, uh…"

I stop. "Hang on, _she_? What happened to Nathaniel?"

Lysander sighs, bending one leg out in front of him, and his eyes close tightly as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't working out with him and Castiel in the band together. You know what the two of them are like."

I know all too well. The class president and the school rebel - they had never been the best of friends. Still, Lysanders brow creases as he looks at me - his mismatched eyes troubled.

Clearly there's something more.

"Lysander, what _aren't_ you saying?"

He lets out a slow breath. "Castiel has taken a liking to her…"

I give a small, involuntary laugh – a bitter sound. As if there weren't currently sharp claws of envy clawing inside my stomach.

"Of course he has."

The sun is warm on my skin, but all of a sudden I feel cold. Like the ice is working its way from the inside out. That is until Lysander puts a comforting hand on my shoulder, and it ceases.

"Candy, I'm sorry."

I grit my teeth against the annoyance that's risen in me and shake my head.

"It's not your fault your best friend is a moron, Lys."

He gives a small raise of his eyebrows, and then looks away, thoughtful. His voice is quiet when he speaks next.

"I could have said no to her but she's… she's really very talented. She's exactly what the band needs."

His face is so anguished that my anger ebbs somewhat. I let out a sigh and wave my hand dismissively, speaking more confidently this time.

"It's not like Castiels my boyfriend anyway, I suppose he can like whoever he wants."

Even as I say the words, something inside me tears at my chest. Lysander opens his mouth to say something, but then stops and ducks his head. I quirk a questioning eyebrow at him.

"What is it?"

His voice is as soft as silk. "It's really not my place to say anything."

"And here I was, thinking we were friends." I say, barely managing to hide my grin.

Lysander stops – the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You're right, we are friends."

I gesture for him to say what's on his mind, and he lets out a slow breath.

"Castiel is a good person, really. Deep… _very_ deep down." A smile plays on his lips and I can't help but let my own twitch upwards.

"He would never purposely hurt you."

I nod my head softly, but the distress must still show on my face because Lysander puts a hand on my arm and gives it a comforting squeeze.

I bite down on my lip, meeting his gaze and trying desperately not to get lost in those green and gold eyes. God, he really is gorgeous. I'm surprised that half of the girls at school aren't all over him.

"Why haven't I ever seen you with anyone?"

The words slip out before I can stop myself, and Lysander looks surprised for a second. But when he leans back, his expression is amused, though his face is noticeably flushed.

"I suppose no-one's caught my eye."

I tilt my head and grin."Really? Then why are you blushing?"

Lysander lets out a soft laugh, and his chest rises and falls with the motion. "I am not. It's hot outside, that's all."

I pout a little, but decide to keep teasing him. There's something I find utterly adorable about the way he gets flustered - I just can't help myself.

"Well, if you weren't wearing that jacket..."

Lysander studies me for a second, an amused smile tugging on his lips. And then he sits forward and shrugs his velvet jacket off his shoulders, before folding it and placing it beside him.

I'm surprised - he's never usually so casual - but I keep my face calm.

"And _that_... what is that called?" I ask as I lean forward, pulling playfully on the scarf around his neck.

"A cravat," He suppresses a grin as he unravels the turquoise silk with one hand, pulls it from around his neck, and sets it down with his jacket. "Better now?"

"Much." I quip, watching as he unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt and pushes the sleeves up over his elbows. He's still wearing a black velvet vest, but I don't think I've ever seen him so undressed. It's then that I notice a small patch of black ink on his wrist. A new tattoo.

"What's that?" I ask stupidly, reaching out to inspect his wrist, before stopping abruptly and pulling back, remembering how Lysander had reacted the last time everyone had found out about the tattoo on his back. I know now that he likes to keep these kinds of things private.

"No, it's okay." He says, seeing my hesitation and offering his arm for me to study the tattoo closer.

I inch closer to him and run my fingers over the dark ink on his skin, letting out a small giggle.

_A rabbit._

It had always been his favourite animal.

He shivers at my touch, and I glance at him curiously.

"Ticklish?" I tease, and he shoots me a warning look - but he's too late.

I tickle his arm again, trailing my fingertips over his skin and giggling mischievously while he lets out a bark of laughter and pulls back.

"You, love, are playing a losing game." He chuckles as he tickles my side and I squeal in laughter, quickly slapping a hand over my mouth to keep quiet. I mimic his action and tickle him back, enjoying watching him squirm, and it doesn't take much effort for him to pin me against the grass, tickling me mercilessly as I giggle loudly and attempt to ward him off.

"Would you two shut it! We're trying to learn here."

Kim's voice howls across the garden from where her and Nathaniel are working on their map together, under the shade of a large oak tree.

_Ha! Learning indeed..._

I can't stop my laughter, but I at least try to quiet it by sitting up and burying my head against Lysanders shoulder. I can feel the vibrations as his deep laughter rumbles through me and his hand runs up and down my arm to calm me.

"Hey!"

I quickly pull back from Lysander at the familiar voice, just in time to see Castiel and Rosalya heading towards us. It might be my ears deceiving me, but I swear I hear Lysander let out an unhappy groan.

The two of them drop down onto the grass beside us - Rosa tucking her legs to the side, and Castiel sitting bent-legged in front of me - and I scoot away from Lysander an inch, immediately aware of how close we had been.

I don't miss the look that Castiel and Lysander exchange, but when I glance at Rosa she only shrugs.

Castiel nudges me with his foot and my mouth twists into a tight line. I'm less than willing to play his games after hearing about this new drummer, and his interest in her. I look everywhere but at him as a streak of hot anger flashes through me. So what if I had told Lysander that Castiel can like whoever he wants? It doesn't make me any less annoyed about it.

"So, how's your map going?" Rosalya breaks the silence, and I can sense the amusement absolutely dripping from her as her feline eyes flicker over my folder and the half drawn map which had somehow gotten crushed and crinkled during all the commotion with Lysander.

"Uhh, it's getting there." I say lamely, though when my eyes meet Lysanders again I have to bite down on my lip to stop the blush that's threatening to creep across my face. So instead I turn on Castiel, who still has a mask of absolute innocence plastered across his face.

_Innocent, indeed._

"So, I hear you have some new songs." I say flatly, and Castiel lets out an ungraceful snort.

"Yeah, Lys has been hit with all kinds of inspiration lately," He says as he stretches out across the grass lazily, laying his head on my lap. I raise an eyebrow, but say nothing as he shoots me a cheeky grin, and I hate myself for letting it make my heart flitter wildly. "Personally, they're not my kind of lyrics. Love and stuff."

His bright hair spills over my legs, and I instinctively find myself twirling the long strands around my fingers, marvelling at the colour. Castiel simply lets his eyes shut softly, and I look over the soft sprinkling of freckles on his nose.

 _God, I am_ such _a fool for him..._

"And what would you sing about?" Rosa snaps at his response, her every word dripping with venom. "Your dog?"

Castiel shifts slightly. "Oh, ha ha. Miss Prissy made a joke,"

"Cas, stop." Lysander warns, looking less than impressed with his friend. Castiel simply waves a dismissive hand in the air.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend your sister. That's what she is, right?"

I don't know why, exactly, but Lysanders jaw tightens, and his eyes flash cold. Then after a moment, it's gone, and he replies with a gentle smile at Rosa. "Not yet."

We spend the rest of class that way, lying in the sun and chatting about nothing in particular. I don't ask anymore about this new drummer, and Castiel doesn't offer any more information. Eventually Lysander and I decide to finish off our map and head back into the school. I can't help but notice how quiet he is after that, but as usual he masks his feelings well, and I can't tell if it's annoyance or just him being his usual pensive self.

Either way, there's more there than meets the eye.

Rosalya and I push through the door to the girls bathroom after classes and I drop my bag onto the bench next to the sink, rummaging through it wildly in an attempt to find my new lip gloss. Rosalya brushes out her long hair beside me, inspecting the tips.

"Did you hear the guys have a new drummer?" I ask her, trying to sound casual as I finish applying the gloss and pout into the mirror, admiring the rosy shade.

"Lysander mentioned something of the sort," She says absentmindedly as she tosses her hairbrush back into her bag and heads into the nearest stall. Her voice echoes off the walls when she speaks next. "I swear that instrument is cursed - they can never keep the same person for more than a couple of months."

I wonder to myself if that will be the same case this time, as I finish primping my hair in front of the mirror.

We head out towards the stairs down to the basement, and drop our bags at the base of the steps. Castiel and Lysander are already there – Cas tuning his bass guitar with low, measured strums while Lys plugs in the various cables for the rest of the equipment.

And that's when I see her – the drummer. She has shoulder-length, candy-pink hair and I immediately think, with a small burst of satisfaction, how it clashes with Castiels scarlet locks. She's seated at her drum kit – eyes closed and sticks held out in front of her as she mimics playing in the air to a melody that only she can hear. She looks out of place compared to the other two, I think to myself. Too delicate. Too sweet.

I drop on to one of the low wooden benches, catching Castiel's dark eyes for the briefest of seconds before the three of them merge from individually warming up with their instruments into the first song of their set.

Rosa sits tapping messages on her phone, her foot tapping against the stone floor in time to the song. Every now and then she takes a quick snap of the boys with her phone, and I chuckle lowly as I wonder which sorry female student she'll pawn the pictures off to for a few bucks. I lay back against the wood of the bench – my knees bent and my arms stretched out above me like a lazy cat as I concentrate on the music.

The first song is intense – a raging torrent of deep bass and pulsing drums while Lysander adds the higher notes of his own electric guitar to the melody. And his voice…

_Oh, his voice…_

It fills the empty spaces of the room like the last piece of a puzzle clicking perfectly into place, and a sigh escapes me as his voice washes over my skin, making every last hair stand on end. It's electric - a perfect harmony of pitch and emotion. As much as I hate to admit it, Lysander was right when he said the band found what they needed with their newest addition. Despite her appearance, she plays her instrument fiercely, bringing new life to the music.

I memorise the beat, humming softly to myself, though all too soon the song ends, as fast and hot as it started.

My eyes are heavy as they flicker over the stage, still lost in the music as Castiel begins to strum a slower melody on his guitar.

But I'm not looking at Castiel.

Lysander lets his own guitar hang at his side for the next song, and takes the microphone stand in both hands as his voice echoes through the room and his face twists with the emotion of his lyrics.

_Nobody knows the echoes of my twisted heart,_

_The wasted shell inside my chest,_

_It's been hers right from the start._

Deep, and husky and so full of emotion that it breaks my heart. I close my eyes and take in a shaky breath. I swear, when he sings, it does something strange to my body. My heart beats faster as the rhythm pounds through me and every thought in my head slowly trickles out into nothingness.

_How can I say that she's the only one,_

_When her heart lies buried in the dark,_

_Oh, it breaks me when she's in his arms._

My eyes trail over Lysander – from his side swept, silver hair, his velvet jacket hanging open over a loosely buttoned shirt and his black, laced up boots. He certainly has his own, unique style – and he pulls it off so perfectly. I don't take my eyes off of him for a long time. If he notices, he doesn't show it. He has this confidence when he's on stage that he rarely shows elsewhere.

When the band eventually finishes, I'm mentally drained. I can't even begin to find the words to tell them how amazing their new music truly is.

And I don't even get the chance to try, as the girl with the pink hair jumps down from the stage first and struts towards Rosa and I. A streak of panic runs through me. I don't know if I'm even capable of having a normal conversation with this girl without sounding like a complete and utter bitch.

I nudge Rosa, who tears her eyes away from her phone.

"You must be Rosalya, and Candy," She says sweetly to each of us in turn, and I stifle a grimace as I glance over her outfit. "I'm Ava."

She's wearing a pair of black, leather pants and a strapless corset top, edged with delicate lace, which shows off the sleeve tattoo running down her arm. A small silver stud glints on the side of her nose. I swallow thickly - I've seen this type before. Back when Castiel's witch of an ex-girlfriend, Deborah, tried to weasel her way back into his life.

_Old habits die hard, I guess._

"Lysanders told me so much about you." She says in a sing-song voice and pulls me into a hug. I hear Rosa gag loudly behind me, but Ava either hasn't heard or just ignores it. I wonder vaguely if she's always this nice, or if it's some kind of act.

I throw Lysander a pointed look, and he shrugs innocently, before I realise I should probably say something instead of just standing here dumbly.

"Right... nice to meet you."

_Good one Candy._

Ava, completely un-phased by my hesitation, continues on.

"You're so lucky to go to a school like this. It's _huge_." She comments, flicking a strand of pink hair out of her golden eyes.

"Yeah it's nice, I guess," I offer lamely, since Rosalya has so conveniently become a mute. "Why don't you attend Sweet Amoris?"

"I'm home-schooled. I met these two at a concert a couple of weekends ago." She gestures a hand to Castiel and Lysander.

Castiel, eventually noticing my discomfort, slinks over to us. He twirls a strand of my long hair playfully, and I bat him away, thoroughly annoyed as I cross my arms over my chest. He pouts, and Ava has the good sense to leave us and start pestering Rosalya instead.

When I look at Castiel next, he's biting his lower lip hesitantly. "Hey, I told Ava I'd show her around the school. Can we hang out another time?"

Immediately my violet eyes narrow as I glare at him in utter disbelief. Show her around the school? Like he did for _me_ on my first day here? What does he think I am, an idiot? A string of insults stick on my tongue, and I take a deep breath to avoid blowing up at him.

He flirts with me incessantly, he blows off every other girl in the school and yesterday he even _kissed me_. And now? He wants to ditch me to _show this new bird around the school._

Code word for he wants to try to get into her pants, I'm sure.

Okay, maybe I'm overreacting.

_Just a little._

"Candy, come on." He says, putting a hand on my shoulder and staring me down with those intense, stormy eyes. "I'll make it up to you - _promise_."

"No, Castiel."

I turn and storm off, ignoring Rosa's call, picking my way up the stone steps as the threat of tears prickle at my eyes. When I reach the hallway, I pick a random door and stumble through it – slamming it loudly behind me.

God, I am so stupid.

_I am so, so stupid._

The tears are falling thick and fast now, and I bite on my lip to stop them. What are tears going to help now? All that's happened is the guy I've been crushing on since I first came to this bloody school is blowing me off for some doe-eyed wench he met only a couple of weeks ago.

_Stupid._

_Of course he never wanted me._

When the rage ebbs, I realise exactly where I am. The science classroom. Thank god Ms Delaney is nowhere to be seen, or I'd be royally screwed for barging in here.

I seat myself on a table and let my head drop into my hands, feeling utterly miserable and entirely too sorry for myself. The creak of the door startles me and I look up, expecting Rosa to have found me – but instead I find soft green and gold eyes, and a mouth pulled into a tight line.

"Are you alright?" Lysander asks, sweeping towards me with no hesitation.

I duck my head, afraid that if I look at him I'll only start crying again, but his fingers under my chin force my gaze on him and the tears fall relentlessly.

He pulls me into him and I take a few deep, shaky breaths, my hands clenched tightly in the front of his shirt, before I will myself to pull it together. I hate myself for crying but I'm _so angry_.

" _Tell me what to do_." He says quietly into my hair, his voice fiery and his breath warm.

I force a shaky smile, choking back any remaining sobs as I will my voice not to break.

"I'm okay, Lys," I say softly, though when I find his disbelieving eyes I let out a breath. "I will be okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And hey, the songs were great."

He smiles softly, and then both hands are on my face, cupping it gently.

"I'm glad you like them."

Something in my stomach flitters wildly, and I bite down on my tongue. I can't find any words, and I'm too afraid to try to speak for fear of not being able to form a coherent sentence.

_Why does he make me feel this way?_

"Candy..." He hesitates, running a finger under my jaw and his eyes never, _never,_ leaving mine.

"You're the most beautiful thing to have stepped foot in this school. If Castiel doesn't realise that, then..."

He stops, his eyes flickering downwards, and I can sense some sort of inner struggle - something he's trying desperately not to say.

And I'm so lost that when the door bursts open I almost kick him in fright. Lysander pulls back abruptly as Rosalya enters, screeching.

"There you are! I've been searching the whole bloody school for you."

I notice she has my bag slung over her shoulder, and she all but pushes Lysander aside to stand in front of me, her long hair falling wildly over her shoulders.

"In case you're wondering, yes I did kick Castiel in the kneecap. And I'm not sorry about it."

I stare at my best friend, bewildered, though Lysander simply grins softly - taking her by the shoulders and steering her to the side a bit.

"Give her some space, will you Rosa?"

Rosalya complies, and pulls at her hair fiercely instead.

"I mean, _who_ does he think he is? Marching around the school like he owns the bloody place, and thinking he can shack up with any girl he wants. And they're all the same! Psychotic, jealous bimbos with nothing better to do then make everyone else's lives a living hell. And does he learn? Noooo..."

Lysander and I exchange a glance, and for the first time I actually manage to crack a smile. Because he knows better than most that once Rosa starts ranting, there is _no_ stopping her.

He shifts closer to me as Rosalya frantically begins tapping on her phone, mumbling a string of insults under her breath. If she's messaging who I think she is, then Castiels about to get the verbal bashing of his life.

_Not that I care._

"Can I give you a ride home?" Lysander asks quietly, and I nod.

"Sure."

Rosalya hardly even notices us leaving - I've never seen someone text so furiously in my life.

We reach Lysanders car and I stuff my bag into the back seat before jumping in the front. His car is huge, and I'm pretty sure he uses it for something around his parents farm if the tools in the back are any indication. Though the thought of him getting all dirty and muddy in his pristine outfits is an interesting one.

On the ride home, we talk about everything other then Castiel, and I know he's trying to distract me from my own thoughts. It works, for a while, until we reach my house and I hesitate.

"Lysander... thanks for today." I offer dumbly, though Lysander smiles gently.

"Don't mention it."

I feel like I should say something more. It's like there's all these words hanging there, left unsaid, that neither of us know how to say. I don't even understand what they are, or what any of it means. So instead, I say goodbye and head across the road to my apartment.

Basically, I run away.

"Candy..." I hear my Dads voice as I shut the front door behind me with a click.

_Again? Seriously?_

He appears at the end of the hallway, and I guess he was in the middle of preparing dinner from the looks of the apron he's wearing over his clothes.

He's saying something to me and I try to listen, but honestly, I can't stop looking at the apron. It's pink. And it has frills.

_What the..._

"Candy?"

"Huh?"

He gives me a pointed stare. "I asked whose car that was."

Well, there's no point lying about it now.

"Um, Lysanders."

I hear the squeal before my Mom appears beside my Dad. She clamps a hand over her mouth to silence her excitement.

"Lysander?" Dad scratches his chin as he thinks. "Which one is that?"

"He's the one we like, Phillip. The singer, remember?" Mum nudges him gently and I stare at the pair of them, dumbfounded.

They're like a pair of teenagers sometimes, I swear.

"Oh my god... I'm going to go and change." I say as I rub my forehead in embarrassment and sprint past them to the staircase and up to my room.

When I switch on my laptop and check my social media accounts, there's a message from Rosalya.

_So, Leigh knows a guy... for half a million we can have that red-headed prick assassinated..._

I grin and flick through my other messages. There's another from Alexy.

_Dry your eyes, sweetheart. We're going to the mall tomorrow, and you're going to find something so smoking hot to wear to my party that Mr tall, red and moronic will be begging for you._

I scroll down – there's a second message from Alexy.

_P.S. Armin says he'll totally make out with you to make that idiot jealous ;)_

With a chuckle I pull out my phone and start dialling a three-way call to the both of them. My best friends might be completely ridiculous at the best of times, _but god I love them._


End file.
